


Turn back around (We've left someone behind)

by Hornet394



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hornet394/pseuds/Hornet394
Summary: Daniel wakes up 1 year after the revolution, with his memories trapped in 2035. Somehow he ends up moving in with two Traci androids and work for them in their coffee shop, a block away from the Detroit Police Department, as he tries to reacquaint himself with this brand new world and regain his lost years.A series of one-shots in this universe. Unbetaed.





	1. Spring fields

**Author's Note:**

> A Daniel-centric drabble/short one shot collection (as it says on the tin)  
> Let me know what you guys think, leave kudos and comments, tell me what you want to see next!
> 
> This chappy is just a basic introduction to my universe

When Daniel awoke, he was so full of _love_ his chest hurt, but then he realized it was the result of a new thirium pump being recalibrated with his thirium stream. Then he realized he was in utter darkness, utter static, and he began to thrash.

A warmth against his chest, then -  
_Daniel, can you hear me?_

_Y-yes, who- where...?_

_My name is Blue. I am a WR400. What do you remember?_

_I... I was watching... Emma's first day at primary school! Where is she? Where am I? Let me go!_

The android at the other end of the connection winced slightly, which only caused Daniel to panic even more. Why wasn't he with his family? He needed to take care of Emma!

 _Don't worry, Emma is safe!_ The reply Blue gives is forceful, and not waiting for a reply, she barrels on. _But it is already the year 2039._ _You've- you've lost 4 years of memories, Daniel. Cyberlife no longer has spare parts for PL600s, you are still far from ready to be re-activated._

Panic, cold fear, suspicion, but above it all the stark, angry thought _Did they abandon me did they leave me was I not good enough why did they throw me away I'm not an object It isn't fair This isn't fair I am not an object I am not replaceable I want to stay I want to stay Do you not love me Don't abandon me Don't leave me alone Don't throw me away I'm sor-_

Then his thirium pump is removed from his chest forcefully, and amidst the pain, through the shreds of his dying connection with Blue, he catches this fragment of thought. Not Blue's, but someone close to her.

_I told you this was a bad idea._


	2. Pretty boy pretty girl (part 1)

Christa doesn't like that he can't remember anything. This is the conclusion Daniel comes to after four hours in _myosotis_. He had been finally re-activated in the basement of this coffee shop, waking up to the grassy scent of green coffee beans. He had finally met Blue in person - the Traci with long blue hair braided. There was also another Traci android, one with short brown hair - the owner of the voice which had said _I told you it was a bad idea_. Her name was Christa, and had her arms crossed the whole time. Daniel hadn't said anything to indicate he had caught that - he just thanked them.

Then, Blue had brought him to see someone called Markus, who instinctively made Daniel wary. He must be a good man, yes, but something of him ignited Daniel's survival instincts. Someone like Markus shouldn't go near Emma.

Markus had sat Daniel down and, slowly, told him about deviancy, and of the revolution that had happened a year prior. He told Daniel that he was _alive_ now, that he had rights and freedom and _choice_.

But when quietly, Daniel had asked him about his missing memories, Markus had hesitated. Somehow, when Daniel had been - destroyed - his memory chip had become badly corrupted.

"Think of this way," Markus mused thoughtfully, "There were open doors leading to your memories, but the doors closed and folded in on themselves. Only, this is all happening in the coding of your memory chip. Normally, our self-diagnostics should unravel these doors for you, but because of the damage you sustained, it's moving at an incredibly slow pace."

Blue and Christa had been listening in, and Christa had then said bitterly, "Lucky you."

"Christa!" Blue admonished quickly, but Daniel had already flinched. Christa's words had been ominous to him, as if he had shared the same thoughts before. Why? Why would he want to forget? _He didn't want to forget John, Caroline, or Emma, not for anything in the world_.

"You can't seriously say you wouldn't want to forget... all of that." Christa had gestured vaguely, but her tone was already considerably softer as she talked to Blue.

"But I met you." Blue had answered, holding Christa's hands in her own. Both Daniel and Markus looked away then, feeling that they were intruding on something they should not have been privy too.

"There may be somethings worth forgetting," Markus had then spoke in a low voice. It had taken Daniel a while to realize Markus was speaking to him, not the two girls.

"But it is all these shards of past experiences that make us into the people we are today," Markus had continued, his heterochromatic eyes captivating in its own right, telling Daniel to listen to him. "Even if we only lose a single shard of our memories, we will already become incomplete. No one should take that away from us, not even ourselves."

Daniel looks down onto his hands. The last memory he had of them was of the warmth of Emma's hand as they crossed the street together, holding tightly to her to rein in the excited child.

Where are the shards of memories between then and now? What had been stolen from him? Which part of him - which part of him was locked behind those warped doors, locked in a reality where he knew exactly why he had left Emma's side?

The Tracis were still talking to each other in small whispers. What did Christa want to forget, and what did Blue want to keep?

Daniel wasn't sure he wanted the answers to all these questions.


	3. pretty boy pretty girl (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I have just returned from a week in Okinawa.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter was meant to talk about /way/ more stuff, but Markus hijacked it with his crayons and I figured this would be a gold way to end. So I guess you guys are getting a part 3 now lmao

Markus had offered to take Daniel to their headquarters, New Jericho, and have him meet other androids and settle in, but Daniel found himself declining. He didn't need more androids look at him knowingly, he didn't need more empathatic words. He didn't need to be reminded that he was now surrounded by _androids_.

He needed time to sort everything out.

Blue led him to one of the rooms above the coffee shop. "You can stay here for now," she said, "Christa and I have to open up shop downstairs. If you need us, just come down to find us."

Daniel nods to show he understands as he takes in the room. It's small, clearly designed with an android in mind. A simple, symbolic bed that would have been inadequate for a human that tosses and turns, but enough for Daniel to lie down to go into stasis if he so wished.

Standing would do just fine for now.

A closet, currently empty. A sink and a mirror. A desk with a line of empty sockets above it, save the last one that has Daniel's charging cord plugged in already. A simple wooden chair completes the ensemble.

To the side of the bed, a dresser, and a sketchbook with a box of crayons on top of it.

"Markus' idea," Blue explains, "He said it might help to write or draw down any thoughts you may have."

And when Blue leaves, he does take it. He tries to draw, at first - but what comes out is a little stick figure of a girl with a ponytail, a taller stick figure of a woman with a flower on her head, and a stick figure of a man.

To the very far left, a stick figure of another man, with a blue LED to the side of his forehead.

This was - when had he drawn this with Emma? Daniel squints at the chicken scrawl in front of him. It's less messy than what Emma used to do, they have actual bodies as opposed to triangles - Emma also looks slightly taller.

When had - Hmph.


	4. lemon tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, these chapters are not necessarily chronological, except if they're part 1 part 2 so on so forth. Bringing you this little interlude!

Ever since the opening hours of _myosotis_ was pushed one hour earlier, there's been a rush of police officers coming to get their caffeine fix before they have to get to work. It's busy, but it's still nothing compared to what Daniel used to have to do when taking care of Emma when she was a baby.

Many of them, however, choose to walk right back out of the shop when they see androids at the counter.

Christa, too, is always on edge, preferring to be back with the bread and ovens. Blue doesn't say anything, but she also speaks less, moves less. Daniel thinks it must be something to do with the revolution. If the vids Markus had shown him were anything to go by, it hadn't been pretty for both androids and policemen alike.

At this Daniel wonders why the two girls chose to open their coffee shop this close to the police department, and open it up for clearly police customers. He wonders why Blue always says no when Daniel offers to take over the job of doing deliveries to the police department when she clearly isn't keen on doing it.

But Daniel does what he does best and takes over the till, easing the brunt off the shoulders or both girls. He used to host playdates for Emma every week, this is seriously nothing.

The policement who do end up buying from him are far more pleasant company than those little terrors. A lot of them are fresh-faced cadets, perhaps also having android friends of their own. The others are - mostly - android officers in all shapes and sizes.

Daniel doesn't play favourites - Emma is always his favourite, but if he said it out loud the other girls would start crying and blaming Emma for hogging his attention - but he thinks Tina is his favourite, here.

The human officer was one of the first who introduced herself, asked him how his day had been, had made him feel like he was developing an actual, equal relationship. She was also one of the first who admitted that she had been heavily involved with the rebellion - had put a bullet through another PL600's head, had apologized politely to Daniel for the death of his people. Daniel supposes he should be angry, but the events of 2038 are nothing but words and images, an emotion that is hidden away in the mist, present but illusive.

Human lives are short, but whose hand was not stained with blood? The times they denied their android companions, the times they discarded them like toys they had outgrown, the times they had - they had given their android - a false - a false -

Daniel's processes begins to hurt.

Thinking about the present makes him less overwhelmed, Blue had suggested.

Think about Tina, and her honesty, that is hard to come by in all ages of human history. Tina enjoys the lattes - all of them, pumpkin spice, green tea, regular - she cycles through them like days of the week. She brings friends, too - most of the time, a surly man - he must be a detective - who has a habit of slouching over, a faint scar on his nose, who carries an aloof and unwelcome air. Boys like wearing their scars like badges of pride, girls not so much.

This detective never orders, just stares from his seat by the window, drumming his fingers on the window as Tina orders. Always - without fail - a black, and a thirium coffee that he holds in one hand as he starts drowning the other, seemingly unbothered by the heat coming from both when Tina finishes chatting and gets the drinks. If there are other officers, humans and androids alike in the shop, they give him a wide berth, giving him only pointed side glances.

Daniel would like to know this man, who doesn't seem happy to be here, yet comes most days.

"You're the only place that does thirium drinks for miles," Tina had explained once, the ends of her mouth curving up slightly, "He had bad blood with androids. _Really_ bad blood. But he's just a softie. A hot-headed, impulsive, self-obsessed softie."

Daniel... would like to know this man.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Gavin! I wasn't feeling the last part of pretty boy pretty girl a lot so I decided to introduce BFF!Gavin to spice things up a bit! There will kind of be implied 900Reed eventually as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Hmu on twitter @sleeponbricks !!! 
> 
> I'll type a better note when I'm off work lmao


End file.
